The present disclosure relates to weapon systems and, more particularly, to helicopter armament systems.
It is known to provide weapon systems on aircraft, including helicopters. For example, 50 caliber machine guns have been mounted on helicopters using an external store support assemblies. However, there remains a need for a system to integrate updated weapons, including the GAU-21 50 caliber machine gun, onto helicopters, including the UH-1Y. Additionally, there is a need for an effective ammunition feed system, and casing and link ejection system.
According to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a gun mount assembly for a machine gun includes a gun cradle including spaced apart side members and configured to releasably couple to a machine gun, a carriage supporting the gun cradle and including a pair of spaced apart uprights and a downwardly extending pintle, and an ejection chute assembly including a hopper having an outlet opening. The hopper is positioned intermediate the spaced apart uprights of the carriage and is supported for movement with the cradle. An ejection tube includes an upper end coupled to the outlet opening of the hopper, and an open lower end positioned below the upper end. The hopper is configured to collect spent casings and links ejected from the machine gun and convey the spent casings and links to the ejection tube through the outlet opening.
According to another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of ejecting spent casings and links from a machine gun comprises the steps of providing an ammunition belt to a machine gun, the ammunition belt including casings interconnected by links, ejecting spent casings downwardly from the machine gun into a hopper, ejecting spent links laterally outwardly from the machine gun, passing the spent links through a link chute from the machine gun to the hopper, and passing the combined spent casings and links from the hopper downwardly through a flexible ejection tube and out through an open lower end.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of various features and components according to the present disclosure, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present disclosure. The exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.